


Doritos and Coffee

by Universe_Juice



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Adorable, Awesome, Coffee, Cute, Doritos - Freeform, Homestuck - Freeform, M/M, Nic Cage, Pepsicola
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Universe_Juice/pseuds/Universe_Juice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave Strider's life has been pretty boring ever since his Brother started dating Jake. Until one day, he walks into the EctoCafe and falls in love with the boy who works there, John Egbert. Unable to figure out how to talk to him normally, he goes to anybody he can for advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet The Goof

**Author's Note:**

> AAHH!!!! IM SO SORRY IT WAS DELETED I JUST WANTED TO DELETE THE ONE CHAPTER CAUSE I SCREWED UP I AM SOOOO SORRY

Just another day in your recently shitty life. Ever since your bro started dating that Jake guy, your strifes have been scarce and your conversations even scarcer. Lately you’ve just been walking around town and hanging out at local shops with your laptop, either working on your shitty raps or pestering Jade and Rose about how shitty your life is.  
God you’re being such a drag. There is absolutely nothing to do in this boring town. Kind of tiring too; being so boring. Looking to your right there’s a small cafe with the name EctoCafe. Seems interesting enough.  
Walking in, the smells are so overwhelming. The chocolate and coffee mix. Tall cakes are evenly lined up against the bottom shelf right in front of you. Most of them have basic white frostings with maybe some colored piping all around. But oh my god the smells. Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coffee; so hypnotizing. Much better than the smell of boy and doritos that you have to live in.  
You take a seat in the corner and immediately take out your laptop, turning it on to it being already opened to your most recent word file titled, “Rap”. Titles have always been a bore to you. Trying to think of a title for something is hard and unneci--  
“Hi! Can I help you?”  
You look up at the strange high-pitched voice that is somehow coming from a man. Or more like a boy.   
He’s simple looking really. Short, choppy black hair, sitting above his large, square glasses covering his beautiful blue eyes. A small defined nose and soft looking lips. Farther down is just a simple blue sweatshirt with a the name tag reading “John :B”. Below that is a small black apron sitting above his black jeans and yellow ,of all colors, converse shoes. After you’re done checking out the cute beauty you focus back on the face, voice cracking as you finally form words.  
“WE SHOULD DO IT” Fuck... Wait, why did your voice crack? And why is your heart racing faster than a bullet train??  
Oh shit he giggled. What an adorable little laugh. “Okay! I’ll get that started for you!”  
As he bounded off adorably, you couldn’t help but stare at his ass. Luckily your shades are hiding your gaze. What the hell, Dave. This isn’t like you. No matter how adorable and sexy he may be, you have work to do. C’mon focus.

There is no way in hell you can focus.  
[TG] (turntechGodhead) has started pestering [TT] (tentacleTherapist)--  
TG: rose  
TG: i think im crushing  
TT: Is today finally not a chore for you to live in?  
TG: i dont know  
TG: i went to this cafe and theres this really cute dude here and i dont know what to do  
TG: help  
TT: So you’re going to me for help?  
TT: That’s sweet. I appreciate your choice of ventilation.  
TG: rose seriously  
TG: i  
TG: need  
TG: your  
TG: help  
TT: okay. okay.  
TT: i’ll help.  
TG: thank you  
TT: describe him to me?  
TG: sure  
TG: sexy. adorable. black hair and glasses blue eyes blue sweatshirt works at the ectocafe or some shit  
TT: huh... sounds like a nice guy  
TT: have you tried talking to him?  
TG: already have  
TT: and what did you say?  
TG:... black coffee please.......  
\--  
Speak of the devil here he comes now. Giving you your black coffee with a goofy smile.  
“Anything else I can get you?”  
“No.. This’ll be fine.. Thank you”  
“Of course!! Go to the register when you’re ready to go!”  
“Will do.. Thanks”  
Didn’t even try to look at him this time. Holy shit Dave. You just met the damn dude and already you feel like looking at him will make your heart explode. I hope I’m not being too rude by not looking at him...  
\--  
TT: wow dave. That isn’t talking  
TT: that is an answer to the question, “Can I get you anything”  
TT: Dave?  
TT: you still there?  
TT: did you die?  
TG: no im not dead lalonde  
TG: jesus  
TG: he just came by to give me my coffee  
TT: did you say thank you?  
TG: of course i said thank you  
TG: no matter how weird it may be to look at the guy im not some egotistical douche  
TT: alright alright  
TT: calm down dave  
TT: were you able to muster up any other words besides thank you?  
TG: no  
TG: why is this so hard holy shit  
TG: i dont even know the dude  
TT: well  
TT: go back to that place often and try actually talking to him  
TG: im scared  
TT: what?  
TG: what if he doesnt like me  
TG: what of he just thinks of me as a stupid guy who just sits here typing on my computer at the cafe because of free internet connection  
TT: your thinking of yourself too low. i bet he think of you as a cute boy who goes to his cafe everyday to use the internet connection  
TG: im not cute  
TG: im manly as fuck  
TT: sure you are  
TG: i am  
TT: okay cutie  
[TT] (tentacleTherapist) has ceased pestering [TG] (turntechGodhead)  
Damn it.  
She has a point.


	2. Oh You thought John was the goof? No I mean Dave

After Rose left you, you decided to close your laptop and leave. Don’t think you’re ready to talk to him just yet. Standing up, you drop more than enough for the coffee and grab your bag, quickly leaving the scene. Hope you didn’t offend the poor guy.  
In the middle of absconding you look back at the place, the kid standing at the window watching you leave. Shit. Now you just feel awful.   
Sorry John. I’ll be back tomorrow. Promise.

It doesn’t take long to get home. Surprisingly you aren’t panting after trying to get away from there as fast as possible. You’re too cool to pant. Wiping the sweat off your way-too-pale face, you open the door to the apartment and of course Dirk and Jake are making out on the couch. You slam the door shut and go straight to your bedroom, closing and locking the door behind you.  
In the next minute or so, you hear the familiar hard knock of Dirk trying to get you to come out.  
“Yo little man. Please come out. Sorry you caught us again. I know how you feel. Being single and all”  
“It’s fine. I overreacted. Sorry” For some odd reason, you get up from your bed and unlock the door, keeping it closed still.  
“Well that’s very...Trivial. Something happen today?” Dirk lets himself in as you plop back on your bed, keeping your gaze away from your brother.  
“Yeah... I guess something did happen today”  
“oohh??” He smirks and takes his place next to you, leaving the door open. “Meet somebody?”  
“Sure. I met somebody. Didn’t really talk to ‘im, but he’s cute...”  
“Him even? And who is the mysterious dream boat?”  
“His name is John... Saw him down at that EctoCafe place.”  
“Huh... Never went in there. Surprised you would. I guess it’s all cutsey like you”  
“Oh shut up” You smile for half a second and lightly push him, still not looking at him. He laughs and stands up.  
“Go talk to the guy. Maybe you won’t be so alone if he’s at least your friend”  
“Yeah. Sure...” You keep your voice small, waiting for him to leave. He ruffles your hair before walking out, closing the door behind him.  
Once he’s sure to be gone, you mutter to yourself sadly, “Or maybe you could talk to me.”  
Laying back in the bed, you let your arms lay by your head and your legs dangle off the bed, closing your eyes.


	3. Man to Wimp

You wake up about an hour later, opening your eyes to be in the exact same position you were when you fell asleep. Sitting up, your rub your eyes and find your glasses to be missing. In a panic, you search for them and find them to be neatly folded up on your nightstand. Your bro must of taken them off before screwing his boyfriend... Your bro... huh...  
Standing up from your bed you look around. Not completely sure why though. You know your own room like the back of your hand.  
Is it tomorrow yet? You check the time and sadly no, it’s only 3:47. Damn. Can I talk to John yet? The cafe might be open still. Wait no, that is just a stupid idea. Going back to the same place twice in the same day? Hell no. Then you just look like a pussy. Especially after you RAN AWAY FROM HIM like that. Oh god that was such a wimp ass move. That is not how you pick up men.  
creak creak creak creak  
oh god. They’re doing it again. Quick. We need dubstep in here. STAT.   
Quickly pulling out your laptop, you set it up and turn on your loudest, bassiest dubstep you can find, and turn it on full blast.   
Oh fuck my life. I have to listen to the loudest dubstep EVER in order to NOT HEAR MY BROTHER HAVE SEX. Because seriously. Jake is the loudest motherfucking banshee ever when it comes to this.  
It’s been about 10 minutes of you doing absolutely nothing. I guess the dubstep helped. They aren’t fucking each other’s brains out anymore, but you will NOT turn off your music.  
After updating your blog with the longest rant about your crush, you start thinking about him again. The way his pants hug his hips nicely. His choppy hair sticking out in different ways. What it would feel like to run your fingers through his hair. To kiss his forehead gently. How his hand would feel in yours as you lock your fingers together, pulling him closer to look into his deep blue eyes. To seal the space between your faces with a kiss against his soft lips.   
Damn you’re weird. This is the first time you’ve even seen the dude and you’re already head-over-heals for him. He doesn’t even know your name! You only know his name from the namecard he had on his sweatshirt. He’s never even met you before. Hell. I doubt he’s even seen you before.  
Does this make me gross or undesirable? Dreaming of him this way? It’s a matter of time before you’re all over him and he’s just sitting there. Straight face or even bored. Maybe you should just let him go. He’s too cute to be with a guy like you.  
You’re just grungy and boring. Always on your computer or just sitting around. Doing absolutely nothing. Like right now. When did your music stop? How long have you been on the floor? Get your shit together, Dave. Seriously.   
Getting your ass up off the floor you go back to your laptop, turning down the volume so he doesn’t blast his eardrums out when working on your raps or other tunes. Just before starting to sit down in your black, cushioned swivel chair, your stomach growls.  
“Shit.. I should probably eat something”  
You stand up straight and take off your jacket quickly before walking out of your room, heading straight for the kitchen. Dirk is sitting in the middle of the couch, alone. Jake is no where to be found. No scattered clothes anywhere. Just Dirk.  
“Where’s your boyfriend? He finally decide to leave you?”  
“Well that’s harsh. But no. He had to go home.”  
“He’s a fuckin banshee in bed. Hope you know that.”  
“What? You listenin in on us? Kinky”  
“No you sick fuck. The walls are thin.”  
He just laughs as you grab your bag of Doritos and head back to your room, stopping in the doorway.  
Oh god you’re probably going to regret this.  
“Hey bro?”  
“Yeah lil’ man?”  
A moment of silence before you muster up the courage to speak again.  
“How...... Do I get a boyfriend?”  
The worlds stay stale in the air, just floating there with no response. Now completely humiliated, you just walk back into your room, gently shutting the door behind you.  
God damn it, Dave. How could you screw even getting advice up? Hitting your own head and pulling at your hair, you go onto your bed again, beating yourself up mentally for trying to get advice from your damn BROTHER. The man who practically bribed his way into a relationship. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid, Stu---  
Dirk walks into your room slowly, taking his place by your side. He gently wraps an arm around your shoulders, bringing you in closer.  
“Just talk to the guy, Dave. Get to know him. Become friends with him~”  
As he keeps on rambling on, you just look up at him in shock. He’s never just talked to you before. Never given you any advice for anything really. He really is stepping up to his game. Being a real bro. You can’t help yourself. Launching yourself forward, you bring him into a tight embrace, hiding your face in his shoulder as you just hug the shit out of him. He shuts up completely and slowly wraps his arms around you, smiling and lowering his chin onto the top of your head.  
Finally. Quality time with your older brother.


	4. Step 1

After a while of just hugging him, you let go and sit back a bit, keeping your head down.  
“I.. I missed you...”  
“Hey lil’ man... don’t sweat it,” He ruffles your hair and you immediately fix it, “I’m sorry you missed me. Now, do ya want a boyfriend? Or what?”  
You look up at him and nod, which earns you an approving smirk.  
“That’s my boy. Now, first thing’s first, you gotta become friends with him. Just start by getting to know him. Cross the boundary of complete strangers, into a tight friendship. It may be hard to do this with those overwhelming feelings I know you have running through your head, but you gotta stay strong.”  
You hang your head in disappointment “Oh god. I’m gonna fail so badly...” Dirk just laughs at your lack of self respect.  
“Just be yourself. I know he’ll love that ironic lil man I raised. Nobody can resist this.” He motions to your entire body. You feel so happy and loved, but no way in hell will you show it.  
“Thanks Bro... But.. When can I give him my number?”  
“When you’re ready. You can give it to him when you are ready to start dating the man, or even when you just want to go farther in the friendship. Whenever you feel it.”  
“So I could even give it to him now?”  
“Do you really wanna go back right now?”  
Siiiiiiigh “...No...”  
“Then wait till tomorrow if you’re so eager.”  
SSSSSIIIIIIGGHHHHH “Fiiiine....”  
______________________________________________________________________________  
STEP 1:  
Cross the Stranger Boundary

You’re so nervous. You brought your laptop today incase you can’t talk to him or incase you need a distraction from awkwardness. Walking up the street you see the sign and John cleaning the table right by the window. Stopping right in your tracks, you just stare at him awkwardly.   
Shit oh Shit oh Shit oh Shit oh Shit. He’s so damn cute. Can you even do this? He’s gonna hate you. Turn around now. Walk home. I give up. I can’t do this. I-- I just ran into my brother.  
“Sup lil man”  
ohmygod what is he doing here.  
“What. The. Hell”  
“Since you were so distraught about the guy, I decided to come with. Check out what’s been getting my lil bro so butthurt about boyfriends. And don’t worry, I brought my own boyfriend with me.”   
And he sure as hell did. Jake is standing by his side, smiling like an idiot. Great.   
“Get out of the way I’m going home.” As you start to move around Dirk, he pushes you back in front of him.  
“Don’t give up now. You’ve gotten so far already. Turn around and be a man. You’re asking the guy to be your friend. Not asking for his hand in marriage.”  
You groan and turn around, your face full of anger until you reach the cafe doors, immediately switching back to a straight face hiding utter terror and nervousness. Oh shit. You’re starting this man. You’re making this happen. Be friendly. Be friendly. Be friendly.   
Sitting down at the same table you did the day before, you see John out of the corner of your eye. He is obviously staring at you, and seems a bit too happy to see you. You pull out your laptop and see Dirk and Jake walk in, sitting at the table behind you. You quickly pull up pesterchum again.  
\--[TG] (turntechGodhead) began pestering [TT] (tentacleTherapist)--  
[TG]: rose im here again  
[TG]: and dirk followed me here  
[TT]: you went back to the cafe?  
[TG]: yeah  
[TG]: and bro decided it would be a good idea to follow me  
[TT]: oh my. well i bet he is just there to see what you’ve been fawning over recently.  
[TG]: thats exactly the reason and i want him gone  
[TG]: i cant make friends with the dude if bro is right behind me  
[TG]: watching my every move  
[TT]: and why can’t you?  
[TG]: because he already has a boyfriend  
[TG]: and if i fail at asking john to be my friend then bro will be able to humiliate me with it as often as he gets the damn chance  
[TT]: and why on earth would he want to do that?  
[TG]: to fuck with me thats what bros do  
[TT]: pretend as if he isn’t there. that might do something.  
[TG]: oh god damn it here comes john  
[TT]: I’ll be right here if you need me.  
\---  
“Hi again!”  
“Hey” You look up at him, smiling softly to hopefully show some kind of friendliness.  
“Can I get you anything?” He is smiling and seems to be blushing a bit. Oh god he’s so adorable.   
“Just some black coffee. Thanks.” Crap... How you you even cross the stranger zone?? I can’t just ask ‘Hey! Can we be friends?’ that’s just weak. Maybe if I just come here often enough, or even start a decent conversation with him. How will I even achieve that? Why is this so goddamn hard? You’ve never had a problem making friends before. Why is now such a big deal?!   
“Of course~” Oh fuck that was adorable. Wait calm down. You just need to be friends. Oh crap... After he’s gone you just lean forward and hit your head on the table. If you can only ever get the words, ‘Black coffee please’ out, then you’ll never become friends. Oh shit what if he saw you hit your head on the table. He probably thinks you’re some kind of sick weirdo. Get your damn head off the table, Dave. Daveshire. Daveamina. Davethebiggestfucktardever.   
\---  
[TG]: oh god this is hard and i dont even know why  
[TT]: did you talk to him? like a normal human being who wants to make a new friend?  
[TG]: fuck  
[TG]: no  
[TG]: all i can ever do is ask for black coffee  
[TT]: try pulling him down to the side or something. talk to him like you would me or Jade  
[TG]: like confess my feelings to him as if hes you? yeah great idea lalonde  
[TT]: no no no! just as a normal human being.  
[TT]: the cool guy I know you to be.  
[TG]: fine  
[TG]: ill give it a shot  
[TG]: if i dont respond in the next 30 minutes then my heart had officially exploded  
[TT]: hehe alright then  
\--[TG] (turntechGodhead) has gone idle--  
After he drops off your coffee, you give him a normal thanks and watch him out of the corner of your eye. He is at your brother’s table, dropping off their coffee with a smile.  
It’s weird though. This isn’t the same smile he gives you. This smile seems almost...forced. Should I be flattered? Does he prefer me over my brother? Or has he always smiled like this, even to me? Oh shit am I getting paranoid again? Calm down. Calm down. Stop staring. Drink your damn coffee.  
\--  
[TG] (turntechGodhead) has gone offline--  
\--  
You shut your laptop and stare forward at the wall. You hear your brother idly chatting with Jake. Probably better to not listen in. You roll your eyes at the idea of what they could be talking about. You look forward again and next thing you know, John has taken his seat in front of you. You quickly sit up straight and stare at him through your shades. He leans forward over the table to get closer to you.  
“Do you know who those two are? The guys behind you?”  
He’s talking to you. he’s talking to you. he’s talking to you.  
He’s talking to you like a normal human being.


	5. Conversations are Hard

You keep the coffee in front of your face to hide your dropped jaw. You just stare at him in shock until he waves his hand in front of your face, drawing your attention back to earth.  
“Huh. uh Yeah. yeah I do. sorry”  
The words just fall out of your mouth. You set the coffee down, extremely glad that your glasses hide your wide eyes.  
“Really? Who are they?”  
“Shades is my older bro, and green-eyes is his cocky boyfriend.”  
“Huh... Shades seems like an egotistical douche.”  
You just stare at him as he stole the words from your mouth. Holy shit. This guy is fucking awesome.  
“You stole the words right from me. Dayum” You just smirk as he laughs, sticking his hand out for a handshake.  
“I’m John.” You gladly take his hand and shake it like a man. Not some wimpy handshake.  
“Dave”  
“Well it’s nice to meet you Dave!” He smiles his goofy, totally-not-forced smile. He lets go of your hand and you let yours fall onto the table. Still completely shocked that you aren’t flipping out and going all gaga for him, you cross your ankles nervously. Dirk can tell you’re nervous as he snickers, obviously at you.  
Still looking at John, you point behind yourself with your thumb, “See? Douche.”   
John laughs, keeping his hands in his lap.  
You can hear the defensive side in Dirk’s voice as he calls out to you, “Hey!”  
You just smirk, not entirely sure what to say at this point. Luckily, John has a solution.   
“Sorry. I should get back to work now. It was nice meeting you, Dave!” He smiles widely and walks back behind the counter, disappearing. You look behind yourself at Dirk and smile at him. He gives you a thumbs up in approval as you uncross your ankles, pulling out a pen and a piece of paper from your bag. In the neatest writing you can muster up, you put your name and your cell number on it before putting everything away and putting your money on the table. Again, way too much for just coffee. You get up and leave, feeling like you got some decent work done.  
**~**  
The second you get back to your apartment, you go straight to your room and pull out your laptop, immediately pestering Rose again.  
[TG] (turntechGodhead) has come online--  
[TG]: i did it  
[TG]: i talked to the guy  
[TT]: congratulations! I’m so proud of you Dave!  
[TG]: best part was  
[TG]: we talked about how much of a douche my brother is  
[TT]: very comical. I really am proud of you dave  
[TG]: ohmygod and he actually said and i quote  
[TG]: he seems like an egotistical douche  
[TG]: which was exactly what i was gonna describe him as  
[TT]: Dave  
[TG]: yes lalonde  
[TT]: you are crushing  
[TT]: so hard I can’t even describe it  
\---  
Your phone starts to ring. You almost forgot you gave him your number  
\---  
[TG]: oh yeah and i forgot to tell you  
[TG]: i gave him my number  
[TG] (turntechGodhead) has gone idle--  
\---  
You pick up your phone and promptly answer.  
“Yo”  
“Hey! Is this Dave?”  
“Present”  
“Oh sweet! It’s John!”  
“Figured as much. What’s goin on man?”  
“I am seriously bored. Nobody ever comes in but my dad makes me work here still. OH! And your bro and his boyfriend are still here”  
“Woah man, seriously? Sorry if he’s bein all creepy an shit.”  
“Eh nahh. He’s fine. They are getting all mushy with each other and that is kinda weird to catch in on”  
Message from Rose. Message from Rose. Message from Rose.   
[TG] (turntechGodhead) has gone offline--  
“God damn it. Try living with those two.”  
“Wow. That must be weird.”  
You can hear muffled laughter from Jake. God I hate his laugh.  
“Oooohhh yeah.”  
“Ah damn it! Dad’s making me get off the phone. He ruins all my fun...Sorry”  
“Nah its fine man. At least now I’m not a complete stranger, am I right?”  
“Yeah! I’d say it’s pretty awesome! I’ll talk to ya later?”  
“Awh hell yes you will. Later man.”  
“Baaii~~~!”  
Click.  
Wow. Your heart is beating so fast your chest hurts. Are you sweating? Fuck.   
After wiping your face you add his number to your phone. For ironic purposes, you put his name as John~ <3\.   
Maybe it isn’t as ironic as you think.  
Nope. Totally ironic. It’s ironic as fuck.   
OH god your chest. While rubbing your chest you check your pesterchum quickly to see that Rose went offline. Great. I guess it’s rap time.  
Putting on your headphones, you get lost in your own music, creating some sick rhymes and beats. About 10 minutes into recording, Dirk comes into your room to check what you’re doing. You act as if you don’t notice him and just keep going. He gently closes your door, not speaking a word. Once he’s gone you hit your head against your desk, sighing.   
Why can’t he just leave you alone.  
Now you have to record that again.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
About an hour into recording and mixing, you give up. Setting your headphones down you stare at your phone.   
Should I call? Text? ...Sext? Awh hell no man that’s just creepy as fuck. Don’t wanna call, then you seem desperate. Maybe just a text. A simple ‘Sup’ or something might suffice. You pick up your phone and open the messages, making a new one for John. You write the ‘S’ and immediately delete it. Oh god just do it. Why can’t you just text him?? You start writing the text again, finishing it and just staring at it. With your thumb hovering over ‘Send’, you’re biting your lip in question. What if he gets in trouble. Don’t want to get him in trouble I mean that’s just a non-bro thing to do. But he can ignore it. But if he does, is it cause he doesn’t want to get in trouble? Or does he secretly hate you. He only called you so he knows never to talk to you again. What if him saying that his dad made him go was just a ploy so he didn’t have to talk to you anymore. Oh God he hates you doesn’t he. He does. He must. Oh fuck oh shit oh fuck. Your phone is now on the floor as you quickly get up, going into the bathroom to wash your face. You see your brother’s reflection in the mirror as he walks into your room. You quickly dry your face and follow him in. With phone in hand, he sends the message for you.   
Well fuck.


	6. John's Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John's view of the first time talking to Dave

⇒ John  
Yesterday was so weird. You saw him, he ordered coffee, then ran away. He sure was handsome though. You’ll never admit it to anybody, but there is a small possibility you are a homosexual.   
You don’t know this guy’s name. All you know is that he came into your dad’s bakery all sexy like and stayed on his computer the entire time. It was so weird. Seeing him. Your heart was racing and you were nervous enough to go into your high-pitched voice. It’s so obvious when you’re nervous. But then again, he seemed pretty nervous too. The way his voice cracked when asking for coffee.   
It was kinda cute. Are you crushing on him? You don’t even know his name! He was really handsome though. With his snow white hair and pale skin. How his shades sat on his fairly defined nose and cheeks. He seemed really tall too. Compared to you shorty. Only 5’2” and you swear he must be at least 5’10”  
It’s fairly early in the morning while you’re walking into work. Your dad makes you open up first and set up shop. It’s weird. Not many people ever come in but he still is determined to keep the place running. I wonder if the guy will come in again.  
No. Of course he won’t. He’s too cool to go back to a place like this. I mean, he RAN away from here last time.  
Walking in the familiar smells come back to you. You go straight into the back and start cleaning up what was left from last night. God your dad made a mess. You start a fresh brew of coffee while you’re at it.  
Before you forget, you put on your nametag and small apron.  
Some small business comes through before the main event. You see him through the window while wiping down a table. He stop in his tracks before turning around again. Oh no. Come back! Please?  
Was it something you did? Okay, stop staring at him. You look desperate. Auugh! But you ARE desperate! O my god! He’s coming back! Okay, go back behind the counter. Act like you don’t care. No matter how much you do care. Come on. It’s okay. He’s just a dude. He’s just a dude. He’s just an awesomely tall, sexy, awesome dude.  
Oh god. He sat down. SO COOL. He’s going on his computer again. SO COOOOOOOL!!! Two more guys are coming in. Oh. Not cool. The pointy shade one looks like rounded shade one. Weird. What if they’re related? No. Doubt it. Oh crap. Better get his order before Dad yells at you.  
You walk over to his table first, trying to stay friendly and not go all gaga over him.  
“Hi again!” Oh shit. What if he doesn’t recognize you?  
“Hey” Oh my god his vvoooiiiicceee  
“Can I get you anything?” Like my heart?  
“Just some black coffee.Thanks” At least he’s polite.  
Okay. Maybe you can be cute with this? “Of course~!” While walking away you just want to punch yourself in the face. That was so weak. He probably thinks of you so low now.   
I guess its time for shade’s and clingy fanboy’s turn to order.   
“Hello! Can I get you guys anything?” You fake a smile for the case of the bakery.  
Shades answers for both of them, “Just some black coffee for me and a white mocha for him” They both get black coffee. Interesting.  
“Of course! Anything else?”   
“Yes actually. Could you talk to the guy there?” He points to cool shades guy. Do they know each other? “He seems shy and lonely.” Really? He seems like the guy who everybody knows, and who everybody reveres. God he’s so cool. You stand up straight again and nod at him strangely.   
“Uh. Sure. Okay. Will do...” You walk away from the two, watching cool guy while making the coffee.  
Why would anime shades want ME of all people to talk to cool guy? This just doesn’t make any sense, but why not?  
After you made the coffee, you give it to cool guy first, then to Anime and fanboy. Fanboy and Anime must obviously be together considering they are both laughing and playing footsie under the table. You keep your fake smile for those two, but roll your eyes once you are facing away.  
Time seems to slow as you make your way back to cool guy’s table. He closed his laptop and is just drinking his coffee. Maybe he is lonely. Oh god. You’re doing it. You’re walking to his table. You sit down in front of him and lean forward in the table, switching your gaze between him and the love birds. You keep your voice low so only the guy in front of you can hear him. Oh shit this is so freaky. Your heart feels like it’s going to burst while saying your first non work-sentence to him.  
“Do you know who those two are? The guys behind you?”  
You’re talking to him. Like a human being. Why is this so weird. It’s sorta easier than you imagined. Wow how can you be so confident.  
He’s just sitting there. He stopped moving completely. Oh no. Is he okay? Is he sick? Why isn’t he saying anything? Are his eyes open? You wave your hand in front of his face of good measure.  
“Huh. uh Yeah. yeah I do. sorry” Oh wow he’s so cool. Just listen to that. He doesn’t seem to be shaken up about this like you are. Stop being so lame. WOW John.  
“Really? Who are they?”  
“Shades is my older bro, and green-eyes is his cocky boyfriend.”  
“Huh... Shades seems like an egotistical douche.”  
I hope you aren’t being too lame for him. Oh shit. Please don’t be offended by that douche remark.   
“You stole the words right from me. Dayum” WOAH REALLY!?!?!?! HE ISN’T OFFENDED. You laugh out of you being awkward and the way he said damn as kinda funny. You hold out your hand for a handshake while he smirks. What an awesome and cute smirk.  
“I’m John.” You say weakly. Hopefully he isn’t too cool for a handshake.  
“Dave” What a cool name. He takes your hand and shakes it firmly. Damn. His hands are so soft but at the same time rough. It’s strange. I love it.   
“Well it’s nice to meet you, Dave!” You smile normally. Not forced in any way, shape, or form. You let go of his hand and put both of your hands in your lap nervously. You can hear the Bro snicker, obviously at Dave considering he is looking right at him. Dave points at Dirk with his thumb, “See? Douche” You laugh again and he smirks. Does he like your laugh or something? Why would somebody as cool as him be interested in anything you do?? You can hear Bro call out a defensive “Hey!” at Dave. Out of the corner of your eye you can see your dad give you a disapproving look. Really Dad? Now? I finally got to talk to him! Fiiiine. Time to end this party short.   
“Sorry. I should get back to work now. It was nice meeting you, Dave!” You smile widely while getting back to your station. Dave turned around and his bro gave him a thumbs up. Wait, a thumbs up? This is so confusing, but so awesome at the same time. While Dave packed up his stuff, he took out a pen and paper, scribbling something onto it. You discarded it in your thought, feelings bad that right after talking to him, he leaves. Oh well. He left WAY more than enough for his coffee again. That’s a good sign. Wait. That paper he left. It has a phone number and his name on it. You wipe down the table and sneak the paper into your pocket. Hopefully his bro didn’t see.  
He must have. He chuckled again. And his boyfriend didn’t chuckle with him. Oh god this is awkward. You quickly go into the back, hoping that when you get out, his brother will be gone with his date.   
You come out about 10 minutes later and they’re still there. If you’re gonna call, better do it now. You Dial up the number on the piece of paper, hoping to god it is actually Dave’s.  
It takes him a couple rings to pick up, answering with a calm , “Yo.”  
“Hey! Is this Dave?” Stay perky. Don’t flip out.  
“Present”  
“Oh sweet! It’s John!”  
“Figured as much. What’s goin on man?”  
“I am seriously bored. Nobody ever comes in but my dad makes me work here still. OH! And your bro and his boyfriend are still here”  
“Woah man, seriously? Sorry if he’s bein all creepy an shit.”  
“Eh nahh. He’s fine. They are getting all mushy with each other and that is kinda weird to catch in on”  
“God damn it. Try living with those two.”  
“Wow. That must be weird.”  
The boyfriend laughed. What a strange and obnoxious laugh. Wow  
“Oooohhh yeah.”  
Dad shoots you another disapproving glance. Screw him.  
“Ah damn it! Dad’s making me get off the phone. He ruins all my fun...Sorry”  
“Nah its fine man. At least now I’m not a complete stranger, am I right?” Thank god for that.  
“Yeah! I’d say it’s pretty awesome! I’ll talk to ya later?”  
“Awh hell yes you will. Later man.”  
“Baaii~~~!”  
Oh god. Your goodbye. You hang up and go back into the back, cleaning up the mess in there. God damn it, Dad.  
Next time you look out, Bro and Boyfriend are gone. THANK GOD. You go over and wipe the table. Wonder what Dave’s doing? Whatever. If you can go one minute without thinking about Dave-- Nope impossible.   
After a while of just sitting around boredly around the bakery, your phone buzzes.   
“Sup”  
It’s from Dave. Oh god. You didn’t have to text him first.   
What a day.


	7. Texting is even Harder

⇒ Dave  
You stare at your brother. Not angry at all. You sure as hell are irritated, but there is no way you would show that to your brother. You just stand there. Dirk tosses you the phone and you fumble to catch it. You do catch it, it was just a little challenge. He purposely bumps into your shoulder and you nearly punched him in the gut right then and there.  
Instead, you just look down at your phone.  
No response.  
Oh well. He must be busy. Kind of a relief ac--  
Shit.  
“hey there dave!! :D” He even uses emoticons. Oh shit. You are so screwed. Your brother has forced you into a conversation with the guy.  
“hows your work? is it better since my bro left?”   
You put your phone aside and open up a web browser. You pick up your phone in case it went off and you didn’t hear it. Wait. You literally just set it down. Jesus Dave, chill...  
Has he texted you yet? OH SHIT YES. I mean uhh.. Oh look. Another text.  
“ohmygod yes. in all honesty your brother can be really awkward when with his boyfriend. what are their names anyway? its getting kinda weird referring to them as ‘Brother and boyfriend’”  
“my bro is dirk and his boyfriend is jake”  
“dirk is a cool name. dave is totally cooler though”  
Did he just call you cool? Are you blushing? No. No stop it. Stop it face stop it. Your face has gotten even redder from slapping it. Ow.  
“woah there. you callin me cool?”  
It takes him a while to respond. “i uhh... maybe”  
Oh fuck. Does he have feelings for you too? No. Impossible.  
“huh. alright then.”  
Silence for a while. It’s a bit eerie. You put on some tunes to help with the lack of the sound of any buzzing phones.  
“oh god. awkwardness”  
“ahaha no kidding”  
More silence. Fuck. Quickly. Change the subject.  
“so uh. why do you work at that place if you hate working there?”  
Apparently John likes the idea of changing the subject, considering he answered almost immediately. “my dad owns the place and made me his ‘prodige’ by forcing me into labor”  
“sounds like a quality guy”  
“hehehehehe. he has his moments”  
“well at least you dont have a shithead brother who wont even talk to you anymore”  
“oh no! :( sorry dave!”  
“no no. dont be sorry. i just blame it all on jake”  
“blame it on the clingy guy!!”  
“ahahahaha i like you kid” Not like that. Oh god what if he takes it the wrong way. Oh shit. Why can’t I take that message back. I’m an idiot oh god.  
“wow really??? :o”  
“yeah. youre pretty awesome man”  
Nice cover. Hopefully that saves your ass from confessing after one day.  
“wow!!!! i honestly never expected to be called awesome from somebody like you”  
“somebody like me? who do you think i am? some kind of model?”  
“you are the coolest dude ive ever known! seriously!”  
“well thanks man. thats sweet”  
hecalledyoucoolhecalledyoucoolhecalledyoucool.  
You are currently being anything but cool right now.  
“alright. as much as i love talking to you, my dad is probably this close to grounding me. god i cant wait to get out of here”  
“well alright. hope you stay trouble-free my friend”  
“bye dave!!”  
“later john”  
Alright. You’ve talked to him three time today. You can stop now........ Oh no you can’t. He can’t ever leave your mind. It’s only been two fucking days and you’re already hooked on the dude


	8. Step 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit from John

STEP 2  
BECOME BEST BROS  
It’s been a few days and you have been talking to John non-stop. He doesn’t seem to mind your irony, and you don’t mind him when he seems to never shut up. It’s really nice to hear his voice. Whenever you do hear it, you seem to feel a lot less alone or left out in the world.  
And you can’t stop thinking about him.  
His laugh. His smile. His eyes. The way he talks to you. He seems comfortable talking to you. And you feel comfortable talking to him. Much more comfortable than your own brother. And you can’t stop talking to John.  
All you want is to be around him. And today is really big and important to you.  
As you’re pacing up and down the hallway of your apartment, Dirk comes up behind you. He puts both of his hands on your shoulders, making you jump and turn around.  
While staring up at him, he just talks to you in the most soothing voice you’ve ever heard from him, “Calm down little man. You’re going to be fine.”  
“I know I’m going to be fine. I’m just-- Oh fuck it. I’m so nervous bro” Probably not one of your greatest moments, but Dirk doesn’t seem to mind. He leads you over to the couch, setting you down so you can stop freaking out as much. So you can stop freaking about probably one of the biggest things to happen to you today.  
John is coming over today for the first time, and you are just losing your shit.  
\----  
You don’t think you have ever been so nervous about anything before. Luckily, Dirk promised to not interfere at all with your big day. Thank god for that. He has Jake in his room with him so he doesn’t get bored. Might make some loud problems late though. At least you will have one thing to keep your mind off of it. Oh shit. What if them fucking makes the day even more awkward.   
Okay. Stop thinking about John for one second. What time is it? Maybe stretching will help. Is he here yet? Nope. Stretching didn’t help at all. Has he called? You turn on the TV for a hope of some mind numbing. Is he still coming? Did he forget about you? Not even the stupid shows can get your mind off of him.  
Knock Knock Knock   
HE’S HERE  
You scramble to your feet and sprint to the door as fast as you can. Before opening the door, you take a deep breath. Your heart has never beat so fast in your life.   
You open the door as calmly as you can, but you lose all calmness when he is tightly hugging you. Oh god his hair is so soft. You hug him back just as tightly, trying not to faint right then and there. He smells like cake and coffee. You probably should have taken another shower. Even though you showered twice last night and three more times this morning.  
He giggles and lets you go, smiling goofily up at you. “Hey Dave!!”  
You just smirk, still trying to stay standing. Oh god what if he heard your heartbeat!? “Sup John. Come on in.”   
You step to the side for him to walk in, in which he gladly does, looking around the place. You close the door and take another deep breath. Calm down. Even though the cutest boy in the world is now in your house, you have keep your cool. Don’t flip your shit on him. Keep cool. Keep cool. Keep so motherfucking cool.   
After a long deep sigh, you walk back to the couch and sit down on it, waiting for John to come back from inspecting the place. He takes his spot next to you, obviously really happy considering he won’t stop giggling.   
He is lightly kicking his feet and rocking side to side, grinning widely.   
“What’s gotten you so happy?” You try and ask as nonchalantly as possible.  
He quickly turns his head to look up at you. God he is so adorable. “I’m with you!! I’m not stuck at home baking more cakes with my DAD!” His laugh is so adorable. All you want to do is cuddle with him. Just cuddle for hours on end. Don’t lean on him. Don’t lean on him. You smile softly. You can’t help yourself from smiling at least a little bit, “Glad to see you so happy. Wanna play some video games or something?”  
“Sure!” That fucking smile.  
“Awesome” You turn off the cable and turn on the XBOX, starting up whatever game is already in there. “Looks like we’re playing Mario Kart. That okay with you?” He’s still giggling.   
“Yeah! That’s okay!” Fuck... You just want to hug him and never let him go. Ever. Oh shit stop staring at him. Start the damn game. You’re still looking at him through the corner of your eye, costing you the game. Oh well. He looks even more adorable when concentrating. He lightly   
sticks his tongue out and leans to the direction he’s turning in the game, hunching over slightly.  
And then there’s you. Stoic as ever. Sitting up straight and just playing boringly.  
He wins the game and starts jumping up and down on the couch. “Woah there Johnny boy, calm down.”   
He giggles almost maniacally, “But wwwhhhyyyyy???!” His smile doesn’t fade one bit.  
You chuckle lightly, “Fine fine. Do whatever.” God I hope that wasn’t too cold hearted.   
“Whatever... So like, Kiss you?” He just stares up at you, unphased by what he said. You stare down at him in shock, your entire body tensing up as the word ‘Kiss’ stings in the air.   
Trying to keep your cool, you swallow and speak, your voice steadier than ever, “If you so choose.” He just blushes. Score. You look away again, feeling as if you just dodged a bullet you secretly wanted to hit you.  
You look back at John out of the corner of your eye. He’s looking forward again, obviously embarrassed. Wait... Did he want to kiss you? That isn’t just another prank? Quick. Save yourself from awkward silences. “Want something to drink?”  
He nods, speaking quickly “Yes, please”  
Standing up, you head into the kitchen, grabbing two things of apple juice. Upon your return, you see John staring right at you. When you hand him his apple juice he snickers. “Seriously? Apple juice?”  
“Don’t judge man. Apple juice is the shit”  
He takes a small sip whereas you chug about half the bottle immediately. It’s just awkward silence as you two just watch the title video for Mario Kart play 3 times. John is the first to break the silence.   
“Hey, Dave?”  
You look back down at the adorable little thing. He set his apple juice down and you follow in suit, not breaking your gaze. “Yes, John?”  
The next thing you know, John’s lips are against yours.  
They’re just as soft as you imagined.  
No matter how much you love the sensation, you can’t stop freaking out and staring at him. You don’t move a muscle as time seems to slow. John is kissing you.  
Great. The dork made the first move. Way to go, Strider.


	9. Step 2 Is Far Gone

Next thing you know, you have the sound of slow clapping bringing your attention back to earth. Both you and John are now staring at Dirk, the kiss broken completely. John’s face goes bright red and he quickly gets up, running into the bathroom, locking the door.  
Guess that house inspection didn’t completely go to waste. But holy shit.  
“BRO!!!!!!” You yell at the top of your lungs, launching yourself off the back of the couch. You head straight for Dirk, pounding him into the ground.   
“What the hell man!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?! You fucking scared him off!!!!!!!!”  
He laughs. He laughs. “I was applauding you two”  
“You said you wouldn’t interfere!!!! YOU FUCKING LIAR!!!!” You slap him hard across the face, getting off of him and bolting to the bathroom door, knocking on it calmly. Your voice soft and soothing to try and coax him out. “John? John please come out. I’m sorry about that. It’s okay”  
No response.  
That bastard.   
You run back to your bro, pummeling him back to the ground. “SEE WHAT YOU DID?!?!?! SEE WHAT YOU FUCKING DID?!?!?! It’s all your fault I can’t get a boyfriend or any friend at all!!!”   
Dirk is still rubbing his face, pointing in the direction of the bathroom with his other hand. You turn and see John peeking out of the bathroom, looking right at you.  
Without another word you get up, rushing back to John, bringing him into a tight embrace.  
He’s even more cute when embarrassed.   
John wraps his arms around your waist. You hear the click of your brother’s bedroom door.   
You’ve never wanted to kill him more in your life.  
John’s voice is shaky, “Your brother’s a dick...”  
You chuckle, still holding onto him. With one hand on the back of his head and the other around his waist, you respond in the calmest voice you can muster up. “No kidding... Sorry you had to see me attack him like that”  
“Do... You like me?” He still hasn’t lifted his head. He asked you the one question you’ve been dreading to hear him ask. Yet you’ve needed to tell him for a week now.  
Your voice cracks with the first word. Your heart racing and he can tell. “Fuck... Uh.. yeah... I do..” At least you haven’t fainted yet.  
He chuckles softly and you can feel a smile on his face as he squeezes you a bit tighter. “Thank god it isn’t just me.”  
“Wh-what? Seriously man? I thought you hated me by now.”  
He lifts his head to look up at you confusedly. “And why the hell would I hate you?”   
You just look right back at the guy. “I’m known for being a prick at times”  
“So? Doesn’t mean I should hate you.” His blush has mostly faded, but his cheeks are still fairly rosy. Probably took him all of his courage to say anything at all.  
“Oh god you’re so adorable.” He really is. You bring him back into a tight hug, glad you can finally say it. You’ve wanted to tell him this for so long, and you finally have gotten the chance to. If you said it any other time you don’t know how long you would stay conscious.   
“Wow... I never would expect to hear that from you” He giggles a bit and hugs you back before letting go completely. He slips beside you, going back to the couch. You watch him go, smiling a bit.  
Just to be sure, you go into Dirk’s room briefly, Jake asleep on the bed, fully clothed, and Dirk at the computer. “Don’t you dare fuck this up for me.” Dirk snaps his head up and nods, a bright red hand mark on his face. Fucking sweet. You shut the door again and take a seat next to John.  
John almost immediately leans onto you, earning an arm around his shoulders. “Wanna watch a movie?”  
“Oohh!! Do you have anything with Nic Cage in it???” Seriously. Nic Cage. Fine. But only for him.  
“Yeah I bet I could dig one up for ya”  
“Oh would you would you would you?? Please????” Oh god. Cuteness overload. Yes of course. For you. You just nod, standing up again and going to where you keep the movies. Takes a little bit of time but you eventually find a movie starring Nic Cage. You show him a glimpse of the cover and John squeals with excitement. Holy shit. How can one guy be so absolutely adorable in every way possible?   
You pop in the disc and start it up.  
“The only reason I have a Nic Cage movie is for ironic purposes.” You shut off the lights and go into the kitchen to start up some popcorn.  
“Oh suuuuuuure!” He giggles and focuses on the movie.  
The second the popcorn is finished you head back into the livingroom, sitting next to him once more, setting the bowl on the coffee table in front of them. John reaches forward and grabs a handful, shoveling it all into his mouth. Damn.  
You keep an arm around him and he just keeps on watching the movie. He must really love Nic Cage, and have seen this movie quite a bit considering he can quote every single Nic Cage line. And even that is adorable. You on the other hand find the movie fairly boring.   
The first time watching a movie with your biggest crush in the world and you fall asleep halfway through.


	10. Not-So-Bros

You wake up to John shaking you lightly, “Daaaaaaaaave~!”  
You take in a deep breath and sit up straight, fixing your glasses. “Huh? What?”   
“You dork! You fell asleep during the best part!!”  
“Oh shit. Sorry man”  
He laughs and hugs you tightly, “It’s okay, Davey!” Davey? He called you DAVEY. That definitely deserves a hug back. And a kiss on the cheek.  
John speaks again, “So... Are we bros still? Or... Have we passed that...?”  
The dreaded question, spoken by the most adorable face.   
“Well... Considering we’ve kissed, and cuddled. And I watched a Nic Cage movie with you..”  
“Half of a Nic Cage movie.” He lets go of you and sits back.  
“Half of a Nic Cage movie... Where do you see us?”  
“Uh... T-together.” He keeps his head down and his blush strong.   
“Oh really now?” You lean in closer, pulling up his chin with two fingers. He stares at you in shock, his blush not faltering one bit.  
He nods slowly, leaning closer to you. He is just so damn cute. And he wants you.  
You close the gap with a soft, simple kiss, to which he kisses back, extremely cautiously. Has he ever kissed anyone before? Neither have you. For a while you had practiced on pillows. It was a trivial action really. Making out with a pillow. Yet this isn’t no make out session. It’s small and gentle.   
John breaks it first. You speak first.  
“Keep your head up, John. You have no reason to hide from me.”  
He nods. Did I mention he’s adorable? Yes? Well I’m saying it again. John is so fucking adorable.  
You both don’t speak much after that. John snuggles up to you, making you lay down on the couch. You don’t mind. His head at your chest, an arm draped over your abdomen and the other snaked beneath you. He really does smell wonderful. You put an arm around his shoulders and your other hand down his side. It’s probably the most comfortable you’ve been in a long time.   
When can I tell him I love him?  
John has fallen asleep, slinking down to your side. He’s pinned against you and the back of the couch. He doesn’t seem to mind though, so at least he isn’t uncomfortable. He’s so warm. You never want him to let go. Never want this moment to end. You end up falling asleep he’s so cuddly. But you love it. You love it so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm working with only 5 hours of sleep.


	11. Valentines Present

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY!!!  
> I have been soooo busy with school crap and other things, that I kinda forgot about this fic, and I hope that this chapter will make you guys happy!!

It’s been a couple weeks now and all you’ve done is oggle each other and kiss, with some cuddling here and there. You found out a few things about Johnny Boy. 

1.) He will do anything to get in your arms. Even if it’s just a hug.

2.) His taste in movies is probably the shittiest ever, but you’ve started to get used to it.

3.) He’s never kissed anybody before, but he is more than happy to start, kissing you on every exposed piece of flesh he can reach.

It’s probably one of the cutest things to watch. John kissing you everywhere. Your glasses clinking together as he goes for your cheek. 

 

Today is you guys’s fourth date. It’s his turn to decide where you guys should go and/or what you guys should do. You keep on going back to the mirror to check your hair, finding something wrong with it every time you go back. All you want is to look good for the love of your life, is that too much to ask?

Apparently it is too much, considering your hair won’t stay down. Everything has to be perfect. He’s picking you up in about 15 minutes, and you are so excited. You are always excited to go on a date with him. Seeing him smile at everything you say just makes you feel so warm inside. His laugh. How he occasionally snorts when you make him practically pee his pants he starts laughing so hard. Your jokes aren’t even that funny, but apparently it just works on John. 

Today really is a big day for you especially though. After all of the late night phone calls, Skype movie nights, cute texting, and however many songs you have made for him, you have deduced one fact that you can’t shake off. You are in love with John Egbert, and today is the day you are going to tell him. In reality, you guys haven’t been dating for that long, but it feels like it’s been months instead of weeks. Every time you two just talk it feels like you are talking for hours. It is probably the best thing ever. All you do is talk about pointless shit, and it feels so amazing. Just hearing his voice makes you happy.

You hear the familiar seven, rhythmed light knocks that notify John’s arrival to your crappy apartment. You try to calm yourself down and prepare yourself for John to attack you as you slowly open the door. And right on schedule, John launches himself at you, wrapping his arms around your neck and hugging you tightly. He really is adorable, and super light. You hugs him back as best you can, kissing his forehead.

“Why hello there.”

“Hello, Strider” After telling him about the music you make, he feels the need to call you by your last name most of the time. 

“Seriously, John. Just call me Dave. I’m not famous”

“You are in my mind” Right in the heart. The adorableness is just too much to bear. You smile in his hair for a bit.

He giggles before speaking. “We should go. Before it’s too late”

“Too late for what exactly” He lets go of you, queing you to remove the stupid smile from your face as he just grins up at you. His two large front teeth adding to his cuteness.

“It’s a surprise! But I just KNOW you’ll love it!!” 

“Then surprise me.” He takes your hand and leads you out of the building. You love how soft his hands are. 

While walking around, you assess the outfit he chose to wear, checking to make sure you aren’t overdressed. He told you to wear something nice and warm. You chose a simple black blazer and a red undershirt, with black slacks and nice dress shoes. You check out John’s attire, to see that he wore something a bit less casual. Basically the same colour scheme, with a black suit jacket and light blue undershirt and tie. A TIE. Why didn’t you think of that. It’s a bit too late to go back and grab one. Oh man you’re underdressed. How can you confess your love when looking like this??

Better be at the top of your game today. Throw as many snort-worthy jokes out there as you can manage.  
Wait... Where is he taking you? After leaving the apartment, you haven’t gotten a cab, or gone inside any buildings, but just walk around town. Are you going to central park? 

“So where are you taking me that made me dress so fancy?”

“It’s a secret!! You’ll have to wait until we get there!”

“Jeez Egbert... If we are just going to a stroll in the damn park I’m going back home to change.”

He giggles. You guess that’s a start.

“Just calm down, Dave! We aren’t that far”

You fake a groan, getting another giggle out of him. You never let go of his incredibly soft hand. Once the sun starts to set, you reach your destination. It was central park, but it’s different. There are tea candles placed all around the grass and pavement, and a few are strewn along the fountain. The sight is absolutely marvelous. There is a blanket placed on the grass, just in front of the fountain, and a basket set in the middle.

“Ta-daaa” He chimes, grinning and squeezing your hand. You can’t help but stare at this version of the park. Because holy shit if this isn’t the most romantic thing ever.

“Did... Did you plan this?” You stutter a bit, but keep your voice smooth.

“Yes, actually. Happy Valentines Day, Dave” Oh right.

That’s today. You can’t believe you forgot. Oh great. Welcome to “worst boyfriend in the world” land.

“I can’t believe this.. You are so fucking awesome” You pull him into a tight hug. It’s short, and pointless, as it just stalled your date.

The little picnic he planned is goofy, and the meal isn’t at all as classy as the surroundings. Yet this is probably the best date you two have ever been on. You feel like a terrible boyfriend for forgetting that today is valentines day, making the next few words that slip from your lips become either his Valentines nightmare or his Valentines present.

The words you had practiced saying, and planned how to say it in practically every situation possible. Yet it didn’t happen at all as you thought it would. The words just slipped out of your mouth in the middle of a decent conversation, halting it to a stop.

“I’m in love with you.”


	12. The Final Step

After the whole, "I Love you" thing happened, time seemed to fly. The two of you dated for about 3 more years until the unthinkable happened.  
Bro was ecstatic that the two of you had made it so long, but you never expected that last time he said it, was the last thing he ever said to you.   
When Dirk left for his little vacation with Jake, there was a little mishap, and Dirk had been killed. By his own sword. And worst of all, by a robot. Your feelings were all over the place once you heard the news. It was while on a date with John and everything. That one call made you rethink your relationship with John.   
Dirk never got the chance to marry Jake like he wanted to. He was planning on proposing during that trip too, even though they had already considered themselves married. But they never had an official wedding on that island, or anything of the sort. Sure they were happy together, but they never sealed anything. So there was that little gap. So your plan was to get married for him. Not to Jake of course, that's just sick. But your plan was to propose to John as soon as you can. You loved John dearly, and wanted to be with him forever and always, but the only way to do that was to marry him, to make sure that you would always be together.  
And that is exactly what you did.  
With Dirk's picture on the wall, and Jake right there with it, John and you got married. And John never looked happier.   
And you know that Dirk would be so proud of you, and would have said the one that that you always wanted to hear from him.  
I love you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do apologize for the sudden ending and the short final chapter, but that is Doritos and Coffee!!!!!  
> I had a lot of shit on my plate for a while, so I wasn't able to continue writing it, and I didn't feel like it was going anywhere. So I decided to end it!  
> Thank you all for reading!!!


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